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Kiteboard eater - part 2

In this article the SailRocketeers discuss flying the leeward float, their new wingmast, foil design and more

This article follows part one
Compared to C-Class wings or those found on the AC boats, the new Vestas SailRocket wing is more like that of an aircraft in that it only has to operate on one tack with a limiter to prevent it backwinding. Due to the shrouds (it is held up and is raised and lowered via a strut attached to a track on the crossbeam – as it was on Mk1) the wing has had to be divided into two main sections – the top section can rotate through 360 degrees while the lower section rotates through around 90degrees.
“It is quite easy, you just put the pivot in the right place and have the right section,” says Barnsley of how they made it feather. “The reason we didn’t have it before was because we were greedy. We went for the ultimate in power at the expense of handle-ability. If you back off a bit, you can make it practical. And other aspects of the wing changed and in the end it is more efficient anyway. It was just a crazy decision on the first boat.”
The very bottom section of the wing is fixed in place and Barnsley says this will be a useful reference point for the pilot – although we suspect at the front of the boat Larsen will now need a wing mirror...
As mentioned, in the cockpit there are two controls for the main sheet and beam articulation. Larsen doesn’t expect there to be much load in either and so there is a 2:1 on the sheet and at present a 3:1 on the articulation for the beam. He is pleased with the Spinlock clutch arrangement as it means he is no longer having to flick ropes off and also has arranged it so that he

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